The next morning, Yu Chen hurriedly rose and rushed toward Wei Yu's quarters. Although Wei Yu had started off as an outer disciple sharing a room with three others, for the past three days, he had been alone. Yu Chen had thought little of it, assuming that Wei Yu's fellow roommates must have advanced in rank, and he simply shrugged it off.
But when he reached Wei Yu's quarters, he found the room empty. "Hey!" Yu Chen called out, his voice echoing through the silent hall.
"Yes, Brother Yu?" came the reply from an unfamiliar voice.
"You know a boy who stays here, right? Where is he?" Yu Chen asked, his gaze scanning the room.
"A boy? Oh, you must mean Wei Yu," the cultivator said with a knowing grin. "I saw him this morning. He's probably at the lake, taking a bath."
Yu Chen nodded in acknowledgment, already heading toward the lake. After nearly an hour of searching, he finally spotted a familiar figure by the water. It was Wei Yu. His hair, still damp from his bath, clung to his shoulders, and his expression—once familiar and easygoing—was now strangely unreadable.
For a moment, Yu Chen thought that perhaps he had been mistaken, that the person before him wasn't Wei Yu at all. There was something different about him now, something that made his presence feel almost... distant.
Suddenly, Wei Yu shifted his gaze, locking eyes with Yu Chen. In that brief exchange, it felt as if the boy before him wasn't the same person at all. Wei Yu's eyes widened, and for a fleeting moment, Yu Chen could almost sense that the person standing there was someone else entirely.
Yu Chen stood frozen, uncertain of what he was seeing. His breath caught in his throat as he awkwardly averted his gaze, the air between them thick with unspoken tension.
He shook off the momentary confusion and walked over to Wei Yu, relief flooding his chest as he finally got close enough to speak. "Where were you yesterday?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
Wei Yu's response came quickly, but his tone was distant—cold, even. "I got tired, so I went to rest. Sorry if I worried you."
Yu Chen's brow furrowed. There was something off about the way Wei Yu spoke, something that made Yu Chen feel as though they were strangers rather than friends. For a brief moment, he hesitated, wondering whether to press him further. But then, doubt crept in—after all, it had only been a couple of weeks since they met. Maybe it wasn't his place to pry.
Still, Yu Chen couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
"Well, anyway," Yu Chen said, trying to steer the conversation back on course. "Since you've won the match, it's time for you to find a Shizun."
Wei Yu looked genuinely confused at the mention of a Shizun. "A Shizun? But... aren't you my master?" he asked, his brow creased in confusion.
Yu Chen blinked, taken aback by the question. Of course, he had taught Wei Yu everything he knew so far, but he'd never considered himself to be Wei Yu's Shizun in a formal sense. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind.
"Well," Yu Chen began, scratching the back of his head, "you've been learning under me for a while, but now that you've proven yourself in the match, it's time for you to seek out someone with more experience. A true Shizun—someone who can guide you through the next steps of your cultivation. It's a necessary part of your growth."
Wei Yu's eyes flickered with understanding, but a hint of reluctance shadowed his face. "I see..." he murmured, though his tone remained distant.
The conversation seemed to hang in the air between them, thick with unspoken words.
"Then I'll go back. Goodbye," Yu Chen said curtly, turning to leave without looking back. He had said what needed to be said—there was no need to dwell on it further.
But just as he was about to walk away, Wei Yu's voice stopped him.
"Why can't you be my Shizun?" Wei Yu's words were soft, almost pleading. His voice wavered, a tremor of uncertainty beneath the surface. "Do you not want to? Am I not good enough for you?"
Yu Chen turned back, startled by the raw pain in the boy's eyes. There was a quiet desperation in his gaze, something that made Yu Chen pause. For a brief moment, he saw the flicker of a deep, unresolved pain—like a wound that had never healed. But the expression vanished as quickly as it appeared, and Yu Chen failed to recognize it for what it truly was.
For a moment, the world seemed to freeze. Wei Yu's question echoed in Yu Chen's mind, gnawing at him. Why can't you be his Shizun?
Yu Chen's heart clenched, but he quickly masked his emotions. He had never been one to indulge in self-reflection, much less feelings of guilt or inadequacy. Yet, in this moment, he felt both.
Yu Chen had just broken through to the Golden Stage and entered the Nascent Realm. According to sect rules, that meant he was eligible to take on disciples. Yet, the thought of it felt suffocating to him. He had never desired the responsibility. Training someone, guiding them—it was an immense burden that he wasn't sure he wanted to bear. It wasn't just about the commitment, it was about Wei Yu.
Wei Yu... The boy's potential was off the charts, and it weighed heavily on Yu Chen's conscience.
The Celestial Mist Root.
A rare and powerful spiritual root, one in a thousand, if not rarer. Its potential far outstripped anything Yu Chen could have ever hoped for in his own cultivation. Wei Yu was gifted, far more so than Yu Chen had ever been at that age, and Yu Chen knew that if the boy's talents were properly nurtured, he could reach unimaginable heights.
But Yu Chen couldn't shake the fear that he was not the right person to guide him. He felt inadequate. Wei Yu's spiritual root would carry him to the peaks of cultivation, but Yu Chen wasn't sure he could help him get there. Taking on Wei Yu as a disciple felt like a disservice to him. The boy deserved a Shizun of greater skill and experience, someone who could fully unlock his potential.
Yu Chen took a slow breath, gathering his thoughts. This isn't about what I want, it's about what he needs. He could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him.
"I... need some time to think about it," Yu Chen said finally, his voice quieter than before. He couldn't meet Wei Yu's gaze, unable to explain the doubts that plagued him.
Wei Yu looked up, his eyes still searching, but there was a new depth to them—a quiet resignation. The longing had faded, replaced by an understanding that Yu Chen wouldn't give him the answer he sought, at least not yet.
Yu Chen took another step back, his gaze still averted. "You're... too talented for me to make such a decision lightly," he muttered. "I need time."
With that, Yu Chen turned and left without another word, leaving Wei Yu standing by the lake, staring at his retreating figure. The silence that followed felt heavy, filled with unspoken thoughts and questions.